Whether it’s a succulent pot roast, cheesy casserole, or warming, savory stew, we love Sunday supper. It’s a dinner party without the formality, where family and friends gather for easy conversation and good food – lots of it!

This week, make a batch of hearty Brunswick Stew. We think it’s the perfect Sunday Supper because it’s easy and inexpensive to make, plus it’s a great way to use leftover brisket or pulled pork.

Behind the simplicity of Brunswick Stew lies a rather complicated past. A longtime dispute between Brunswick, Georgia, and Brunswick County, Virginia, exists over who cooked the first batch of stew.

Traditionally, Brunswick Stew is cooked in an iron cauldron over fire for a large group of people, using whatever ingredients are on hand. Virginia’s version is thick and chock-full of pulled meat and vegetables, while Georgia’s has more broth and often a squirt of fresh lemon juice. You’ll also rarely see peas in a Virginia stew, but almost always in a Georgia stew.

We think Brunswick Stew is delicious, regardless of its actual origin, so we’ve rounded up two of our favorite recipes that celebrate each state’s version of this classic stew. To take your supper to the next level, add our Skillet Cornbread to the menu. So break out your best iron cauldron and get cookin’!

I’m from Georgia and have never, ever, seen peas in Brunswick Stew nor was any lemon juice put in it. Butter beans or green baby lima beans, yes, but (shudder) never peas and it was always thick. That so called Georgia version is someone’s idea of a “healthy” version of Brunswick Stew they invented for Southern Living Magazine. Folks raised in Georgia would not call that Brunswick stew! Brunswick stew usually has more than one meat – usually pork and chick – a whole boston butt and a whole chicken, and can have beef as well. Usually has all three meats. NO potatoes, NO peas, but would definitely have creamed corn along with the butter bean/lima bean, onion, etc. It would be thick and have a definite bar-b-que flavor to it.